Other hacks, including some that restore the Start button to Windows 8, have also been blocked by Microsoft.

Microsoft announced the Windows 8 RTM, or "release to manufacturing," milestone last week. Final copies of Windows 8 Enterprise leaked to file-sharing websites a day later.

Although previews of Windows 8 could be modified to insert a homemade Start button and with more work, bypass the Start screen at log on, Microsoft has invalidated those work-arounds in the RTM build, said Rivera.

Instead of a Start button, Windows 8 uses a "hot corner" at the lower left. When that hotspot is touched or clicked, the interface switches from the traditional desktop UI to the tile-centric environment, or vice versa.